Diggery
by Rose
Summary: A short story about mice etc. basced on Brain Jacques novels


Chapter 1 Diggery and his mother Molly sat patiently at the oaken tableset in the middle of their small kitchen. The two field mice lived comfortably in 12 Honey Hive Hallow, a huge oak tree on the outskirts of Sugarplum Forest. They were waiting for the new addition of their family, a squirrel maiden named Annabel. They jumped when she bounded in, and broke the silence with her non-stop chatter. Diggery grinned, Annabel was young and full of life, and always cheered him up. 

Diggery had found Annabel near drowning in the Lake of Reflections, and brought her back to his home until she recovered. But now she was fine and she didn't want to leave! 

"King Ryan has gone and stolen Queen Yessica's crown jewels!" Molly exclaimed, peering over the top of her newspaper. 

"Isn't he content with the 100th Castle?" Annabel sighed dramatically. 

For as long as the Woodlanders could remember the King or Queen had ordered that a castle be built for their heir on Harmony Hill. Queen Yessica, the Queen at the present, had built a castle for her daughter Princess Tanya to live in when she grew old enough to leave home, and it just so happened that this was the 100th Castle to be built. But the evil King Ryan, who ruled over Mirage Desert and all the creatures who dwealt there had taken the castle by force and had placed his armies there to ward off attackers. Many had tryed to regain the castle, but none had ever come back alive. 

"Annabel, would you be a dear and go and pick some elderberries for me?" Molly asked the young squirrel. 

Annabel nodded and picked up her basket. Diggery followed, as he was bored and needed to get out of the house. He walked outside just in time to hear Annabel scream and catch a glipse of her being led away by King Ryan's soldiers. 

CHAPTER 2 "Diggery Oaks you have been selected to join the Woodlanders Youth Army to come on a mission and save the 100th Castle. If you do not accept then you will have to pay 50 gold pieces so that we can hire someone else" Diggery stared at the formerly dressed officer standing at attention at his front door in bewilderment. 

"Of course I'll go!" Diggery said hastily, knowing that he couldn't afford to pay 50 gold pieces. 

The officer thrust a uniform into his hands and saluted him. "We'll see you this evening at 8o'clock. Be there or be square" 

Diggery staggered back into 12 Honey Hive Hallow. He wasn't sure how his mother would react to his news, but he was sure that she wouldn't jump at the change of sending her son off to war. 

He grabbed a small bag and filled it with some of his personal belongings. A framed photo of himself, his mother and Annabel, a small china ornament in the shape of a slice of his favourite cheese, and a piece of straw from a nest that his father had built. 

He checked on his bedroom wall. He ought to be going if he wanted to get there in time. He hurridly scribbled a note to his mother and quietly slipped out of the house. 

Diggery Oaks was going to war, to gain the 100th Castle and to save Annabel from certain death. 

CHAPTER 3 "Diggery, I like to see a soldier nice and punctual. Come over to the stables and meet the other brave lads who you'll be journeying with" The captain of the Woodlanders Youth Army (the W.Y.A) ushered Diggery over to the grand stables of the 99th Castle, where Queen Yessica, a gentle but firm rabbit, lived with her husband and daughter. 

Diggery was put on Thunderflash, a huge white horse, and one of the grandest. The two of them rode around for a while so that Thunderflash got used to having diggery on his back. Then they trotted over to a group of young mice, voles, badgers and moles, also saddled up on horses. The group was peering over a large map with a trial marked out on it. 

"As you can see, we have decided to make a loop aroundthe Lake of Reflections, and then walk through Mirage Desert. Do you think you're up for it?" 

" Of course!" Diggery replied, somewhat insluted. 

"Attention!"called a loud voice.Thunderflash stamped her hooves and stood up straight. 

The small company of creatures set out a few minutes later, the horses trotting along two by two.Diggery was riding next to Sammy, a strapping mouse boy who was always full of good cheer. 

The mice rode for hours and hours, and finally camped at the Lake of Reflections for the night. Sammy's brown horse, Minx, sat down right away to eat, and refused to be taken to lie down with the other horses for the night. 

The Captain went over their route again, and then they ate. When no-one could eat anymore they went to sleep. An hour later everyone was snoring gently. 

CHAPTER 4 Diggery woke up with a sore head. No wonder, he found out that he had been sleeping on a stone all night! "What's for break- fast then?"he asked Sammy. 

"Sssssssh!" hissed Sammy, "look above you! King Ryan's Black Birds of Doom!" 

Diggery gasped. He had heard of the creatures in fairytales. They were huge birds, as black as night, that hunted down any arriving enemies of King Ryan. Diggery held his breath as the enormous birds circled over head. But he needed to sneeze badly! His nose was tickling and he just had to sneeze! He tried his best to hold it in, but but suddenly it came out, a huge loud sneeze! 

The birds immediatly came swooping down on them. The group plunged into the water and swam for the middle of the lake. But the birds swam after them, their huge beaks snapping a squawking.Diggery and the others climbed onto the small island in the middle of the lake. The birds stopped, looking puzzeled. Eventually they flew off. 

"Why have they gone?" asked Diggery worriedly. "Are they going to come back?" 

The captain laughed. "Oh, I don't think so" he said, "look around you!" 

Diggery did as he was told and noticed for the first time that he was surrounded by stone statues. This was the island where they commemorated old Kings and Queens. The birds didn't have coloured vision, they couldn't tell what were statues and what weren't! 

Well, they'd escaped that one, but it was only a matter of time before something else barred their path. 

CHAPTER 5 The party travelled for days and days. Many of them saw strange mirages, and a totally of five perished in the scorching desert sun, but Sammy always managed to stay cheerful. Finally they reached the 100th Castle. Diggery looked aroud his friends. Funny, he thought, what are they smiling about? 

"Now then Diggery" the captain said, smiling evily. "It's your chance to prove yourself. You see, these members," he pointed to the others, "have all passed the test. Now you see why the group is so small! The other's all perished while trying to join the W.Y.A, or Why Yell Anyway, no one's going to hear you!" with this he kicked Diggery roughly toward the door and scurried away with the others. 

Diggery was left there, astonished. How could he have been so stupid? But he was determinded to defeat King Ryan, even if he had to do it single handed, so trembling he entered the 100th Castle, scowling as he walked past the sign with 100th Castle crossed out, and Dreai Castle scribbled in. 

It was very dark inside the castle. It was only lit by torches hanging from the wall ever so often. He walked down so many corridors that he became quite lost. He pulled his father's piece of straw out for comfort. 

At last he came apon Ryan's dining chamber. Ryan, of course, was a huge, terrifing fox, he was about as old as Diggery's father would have been. He had fierce badgers as butlers and a stoat jester whom he treated very poorly. Diggery tried to sneak in, his plan was to pass through without being seen and find the dungeons, where Annabel was being held.But as he pushed the door it creaked and groaned and Ryan was alerted. 

"Seize him at once!" he cried savagely. At once two of the badgers came and threw Diggery roughly onto all four paws at the feet of the King. "What are you doing in Dreai Castle, home of King Ryan the great?" he asked gruffly. 

Diggery stood bravely with the straw in his paw. He was just about to speak when King Ryan starterd to sniff the air frant- ically. Then he caught sight of the straw. 

"No!" he cried, "he has come back to haunt me! He will never let me live!" King Ryan fled from the Castle and was never seen again. 

Diggery quickly got to work. He pushed through the confused servants and ran through the corridors to find Annabel. He soon became completely lost again. 

CHAPTER 6 "Diggery!" Annabel cried, when at last he found the dungeons. "I knew you'd come, I just knew it! How did you get past Ryan!" 

" I don't really know myself! He just looked at this and ran!" he paused picking the lock and showed her. 

"Of course!" exclaimed Annabel excitedly. "Your mother told me one night when she was tucking me in, of how your father and Ryan had lived next door to each other when Ryan was poor. They were always fighting, and though he never showed it Ryan was scared of him. When he came into power the first person he wanted revenge on was your father. And so he fed in to the sharks, right?" 

Diggery sighed and nodded. 

"Ryan thought he had removed all traces of him. But when he saw that piece of straw , which probably smells of your father, he must of thought that..." 

"Dad was coming back to haunt him! That's what he said!" Diggery grinned as the door swung open. "But we must be hitting the road now. When we get back we can tell her that her castle awaits her, and live a normal life in 12 Honey Hive Hallow. Agreed?" Annabel smiled and nodded. 

"Agreed" 

The journey before them was perilous. They encountered many dangers on the way, but when they finally got back it was exactly one month since Diggery and the W.Y.A had left. His mother was overjoyed when the two of them came back, alive and well. She hugged them and kissed them and shouted at Diggery for not telling her that he was leaving (although she apologised afterwards) 

And when they visited the 99th Castle they were both given special award for bravery. 

And the rest, they say, is history. 


End file.
